Increasingly, producers of consumer use product containers, such as facial tissue cartons, are making maximum use of the container surface area through the use of full face graphics, specialized graphics, including three dimensional, lenticular, holographic, laminated films, foils and other printed, photographic and digital effects. The increased use of such graphics creates a desire for the minimization of visible boundaries at the meeting point of edges to maximize the visual effect of the printed graphics.
Also, in the manufacture of containers, or any other die cut process, minimizing the amount of material needed to produce a given sized container is a cost saving goal. The savings in materials consumed corresponds to a direct savings in manufacturing costs, and more efficient production. It is highly desirable to have a container construction that decreases the amount of container material required to construct a container having the same functionality.
Moreover, to fill a container on a manufacturing line with a product, such as loading a facial tissue carton with a clip of facial tissues, the carton design must be compatible with high speed automated machinery. Hand loading or manual packaging of the facial tissue into the carton is not practical due to the excessive labor costs involved and the inherently slow rates of operation when compared to an automated process.
Therefore, a need exists for a carton that has a continuous decorative surface on its sidewall to maximize the graphical appeal of the carton with a minimum of design interruptions and that can be top or bottom loaded on high speed automated packaging equipment.